A player's objective in blackjack is to beat the dealer (in other words, the house) with cards totaling equal to or less than 21, without going over 21, which is known as “busting.” The house has a slight advantage due to the fact that the player must go first and if the player busts, the player automatically loses even if the dealer would have or does subsequently bust.
Before the cards are dealt for each blackjack hand, the player selects the amount he wishes to wager on that hand. The dealer then deals two cards to the player, and two to himself—one face up and one face down. Face cards (kings, queens and jacks) count as 10, aces count as one or 11 (as the player chooses) and all other cards are counted at their face value.
Depending on the pair of cards that are dealt to the dealer and the player, various options are available to the player. If the pair of cards dealt to the player equal 21 (i.e., an ace and a 10 or face card), the player has blackjack and wins the hand unless the dealer also has a blackjack, in which case the hand is a tie, also known as a “push.” A winning blackjack typically pays the player 3 to 2 odds on his wager. If the pair of cards dealt to the player do not equal 21, the player may hit or stand, or in certain circumstances, the player may take insurance, split a pair, double down, surrender, or take even money.
The player may “hit” if he wants another card, or “stand” if he is satisfied with the total of his hand and does not want another card. The player may typically hit as many times as he wishes before standing, as long as the player's total does not exceed 21. If any hit causes the player's total to exceed 21, the player busts and automatically loses the hand. If the dealer's face-up card is an ace, the player is given an option to make an insurance wager, which is a side bet that the dealer's face-down (hole) card will be a ten-value card (i.e., either a 10 or a face card). The players can make an insurance bet equal to one half of the player's initial bet on the hand. If the dealer's down card is revealed to be a ten-value card, the player wins the insurance bet at 2 to 1 odds. If the dealer's down card is revealed to be any other card, the player loses the insurance bet.